Queen Elizabeth National park is a savannah wildlife reserve located in western Uganda, near the town of Kasese. Covering an area of 1978 square kilometers, the park which was founded in 1952 as Kazinga Channel National Park spans the Equator, with monuments on either side of the road marking the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00.
Queen Elizabeth National Park, changed its name from Kazinga Channel National Park to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom’s visit to Uganda in 1954. It is Uganda’s most popular park; in terms of visitors it receives each year. Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, the park is situated in an area that boasts of a huge variety of terrain. These include volcanic craters, sparkling lakes, savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands, tropical forests and swamps.
By road, Queen Elizabeth National Park lies approximately 400 kilometers south west of the city of Kampala, on a drive that takes about 7 hours. The town of Kasese is located on the north western edge of the park, with Rubirizi District bordering the park to the south east. The larger Queen Elizabeth National Park includes Maramagambo Forest – which borders Kigezi Game Reserve, as well as Kyambura Game Reserve, Virunga National Park (DRC) and Kibale Forest National Park.
The area that Queen Elizabeth National Park covers extends all the way from Lake George to Lake Edward, with the panoramic Kazinga Channel connecting the two Lakes. Queen Elizabeth National Park is an attraction teeming with an array of wildlife. Lions, Leopards, Buffalo, Elephant, the famous Uganda Kob, Nile Crocodiles, Reed Bucks, Hippopotamus and Chimpanzees call this park home. About 95 species of mammals and over 600 species of birds have been recorded at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
It is in the Fig Trees of the endless plains of the Ishasha sector, located in the south western part of Queen Elizabeth National Park where the famous, rare tree climbing Lions camouflage as they wait to pounce on unsuspecting prey. These Lions whose fame is spread all over the world are one of the leading attractions for tourists that visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. Adjacent to this part of the park is Virunga National Park in the DRC, considered a potential Lion stronghold in East Africa.
Some of the Volcanic features found at Queen Elizabeth National Park include deep craters, crater lakes and volcanic cones. Among them is the Katwe explosion craters that mark the park’s highest point at 1,350m above sea level. On the other hand, Lake Edward is the park’s lowest point, at 910 meters above sea level. The array of attractions and various geographical features make Queen Elizabeth a go to destination for many. Notably, it is currently the only park in Uganda where one can savor the panoramic views and the untamed African wilderness on a hot air balloon flight. This early morning air safari culminates with champagne breakfast served at a site in the park. Participants are then issued with participation certificates for their memorable records.
The truly Magical Kazinga channel, located on the Mweya sector of the park is a must visit during your tour of Queen Elizabeth. The channel which connects Lake George and Lake Edward abounds with Hippos that wallow in the waters, Elephants that visit for a drink, Buffalos, among others especially during the dry season. It is also a birder’s paradise that attracts various bird species. A boat ride along the Kazinga Channel is an activity that we highly recommend. It is the best chance for you to get up close with Hippos, Nile Crocodiles and several water birds.
With over 600 bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is truly a birder’s paradise. Around November, you have a chance to spot some of the migratory bird species that visit from North Africa and Europe. To mention but a few, some of the birds that the park hosts are White Tailed Lark, White Winged Warbler, Black Lumped Button Quail, White Tailed Lark, Black Bee Eater, African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek, Bar Tailed Godwit, Verreaux Eagle Owl and the Pink Backed Pelican.
Besides game drives, other notable activities at Queen Elizabeth National Park are Chimpanzee trekking at the Kyambura Gorge and Lion Tracking. Kyambura Gorge is an underground forest that borders the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Here, you will be amazed not just by the Chimps, but also other primates like Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Black & White Colobus Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys and various species of birds and butterflies. There are also different types of plants that you can identify.
Lion Tracking is an experience that takes place early in the morning or in the afternoon. The interesting activity which is conducted by rangers and Uganda Carnivore project researchers helps visitors observe the predators in their natural habitat. Tourists are guaranteed of spotting at least one of the corralled Lion Prides with the help of a radio tracker. During the exercise, you identify and differentiate male and female Lions by their physical appearances and probably see the dominant male in a pride move around as he marks his territory by urinating on stems of trees, roaring or digging holes suing his hind feet as a way of warning other Lions that this is his territory. This activity needs to be booked in advance as only limited tourists are allowed to participate per session.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is accessible by road from Kampala, on a drive down the Masaka- Mbarara highway that takes between 7 and 8 hours with stop overs at the Equator crossing point and Mpambire Drum makers. From Bwindi National Park, the drive to or from Queen Elizabeth takes about 7 hours, and takes you through the Ishasha sector. For those who would wish to fly, Aerolink Uganda offers dealt flights to both Kasese and Mweya airstrip, from where we can drive you to your lodge.